If Kyoya Knew
by Calantha S
Summary: Kyoya finds out about Haruhi's fear of thunder before going to the beach and is asked to protect her. This is the Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club episode from Kyoya's point of view and the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that would have occurred if Kyoya had known.
1. Prologue

**Author's note:** I wanted to see what would happen if Kyoya had known about Haruhi's fear of thunder prior to going to the beach in the anime's The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club episode. This story begins at the very end of episode 7, Jungle Pool SOS.

 **Prologue**

Kyoya would continue to lie to everyone else, but he couldn't lie to himself any longer. He had completely fallen for Haruhi. His respect had turned into interest, interest into affection, and affection into love, albeit a one-sided love that he tried desperately not to act on.

He was thinking about Haruhi as he walked down the path in his family's resort, after having saved his onion squad from the wrath of Honey-senpai. His thoughts, however, were rudely interrupted by several idiots.

"You know, maybe we should go to the beach next," Hikaru proposed.

"Yeah, the beach would be nice." Kaoru added his two cents.

"You idiots, Haruhi wouldn't be interested in anything like that," Tamaki scoffed.

Looking up, Kyoya's eyes flicked over to Haruhi. _He_ knew she would be very interested in going to the beach. Ranka had told Kyoya about Haruhi's love of the ocean. Before she even responded, Kyoya began planning the trip, what it would cost, and when best to call Ranka and ask his permission to take his daughter on an overnight trip.

Inwardly, Kyoya smiled. He was sure that Ranka would have no problem with an overnight trip - especially if Kyoya was arranging it.

Kyoya had been chatting with Ranka for months - ever since Haruhi's first day at the Host Club. They had even gone out to coffee a few times. While Ranka frequently gushed and sang Kyoya's praises, which was embarrassing on one level, a secret side of Kyoya was pleased to receive affirmation from an adult male figure in his life. His own father was anything but affirming. Kyoya found a father figure in Ranka that he had only ever dreamed about - and Ranka found a prospective son-in-law.

Kyoya constantly tried to suppress his feelings for Haruhi, but Ranka had made that difficult. Ranka made no secret of the fact that he approved of Kyoya for his daughter. About two months ago, Ranka had a frank, one-sided conversation with Kyoya. Ranka explained that he knew Kyoya had developed feelings for Haruhi, but that Kyoya was purposefully trying not to pursue her out of duty to his family. He continued to say that he understood, but that if Kyoya ever had a change of heart, Ranka approved of Kyoya courting Haruhi. Ranka ended the conversation by saying that they could pretend that this conversation never happened, but that Ranka wanted to reassure the boy that he understood what he was going through and if he needed a listening ear - about anything, Ranka would be there. Kyoya was stunned. Ranka was so unlike his own father.

Kyoya had really begun to respect Haruhi's father over the months they had known each other and appreciated his wisdom - both in business and as a father-in-law, albeit one he could never have.

Kyoya also valued these phone calls because he learned more about Haruhi. At the beginning, it was simply a good way to get information to subtly manipulate and motivate her. After he became interested in her, it allowed him to keep current of Haruhi's personal matters and ways he could help her behind the scenes.

One of the weirdest aspects about Kyoya's relationship with Ranka were the Haruhi-themed gift baskets filled with pictures of Haruhi when she was younger (which he kept), pencils and odds and ends (which he put up for auction), and lists of things she liked/didn't like/aspirations - really anything that a prospective husband should know.

Despite Ranka's enthusiastic support, Kyoya still tried to put up barriers between him and Haruhi. He loved her, but even so, any kind of relationship between them would be difficult. His family could be... cruel if they deemed a partner unworthy. And he did not wish that upon Haruhi. He was also sure that she would not enjoy his world as it was full of the "rich bastards" she often complained about.

He had to admit though, it was growing harder to maintain his distance from Haruhi. Just the other day, Kyoya found himself wanting to ask her about Misuzu, who was apparently an ill friend of the family that Ranka had mentioned in passing. Kyoya caught himself just in time though - there was no justifiable reason for him to know that and it would be extremely out of character for the Shadow King to care. But he did. Care, that is. It was so at odds with how he had lived his life up to this point. Haruhi (and Ranka) made him think about so many things he had never thought about before. In many ways, it would be easier just to tell Haruhi that he had been chatting with Ranka, so he wouldn't have to guard everything that came out of his mouth.

Whenever his thoughts went in that direction though, he reminded himself that Haruhi would be... less than pleased to find out that he had been talking to her father since the beginning (and rightfully so, if he were being honest with himself). However, there was another reason not to tell Haruhi. Kyoya was desperately trying to _not_ pursue Haruhi. Kyoya felt that he wouldn't be able to keep his distance from Haruhi if she knew and that was dangerous. If that distance disappeared, he was afraid the temptation to woo her would become too great and he would finally give in. Since he loved her enough to not drag her into his cold world, he needed all the barriers he could find to prevent him from pursuing her.

Despite Ranka's encouragement.

That train of thought reminded Kyoya to call the man later that evening. He made a note of it in his black book. Once finished, Kyoya went back to rounding up the host club members so they could head back to Ouran. Of course, he subtly arranged it all so that Haruhi sat next to him, but that goes without saying.


	2. The Phone Call

**Author's warning:** The chapters from here on out contain the occasional curse word.

 **Chapter 1 - The Phone Call**

"Good evening, Ranka," Kyoya began the phone call.

"Oh, my favorite host!" Ranka gushed. "You know I've asked you to call me Father-in-Law. But oh well! Your tsundere nature is part of your charm! Now tell me, what's the latest news in the world of Haruhi?" Ranka didn't seem to need to breathe while he talked. It was an interesting trait; one that Kyoya had adapted to use in meetings when he spoke over people.

Kyoya smiled at Ranka's enthusiasm and switched the phone to his other ear.

"She's fine, Ranka. A little bedraggled after today's adventure in my family's theme park, but it was nothing that Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai couldn't fix." He paused for a moment. "I know I'm calling you earlier than normal, but I wanted to ask your permission to take Haruhi on a weekend trip."

Kyoya winced as Ranka interrupted with the loudest scream possible.

"I'm so happy! You're finally taking my daughter out on a date! I'm not too sure how I feel about it being overnight, but Kyoya, since it's you, it's alright! Just remember, no grandchildren yet - or wait, maybe grandchildren. Kyaaaa! Let's just let fate decide!"

Kyoya could imagine Ranka wriggling with glee on the other side of the phone. Biting his lip to hold back a chuckle, Kyoya quickly corrected the man's misconception.

"With the host club, Ranka. It's not a date."

He heard Haruhi's father sniff in disdain and disappointment. "Well, fine. But I'd be much happier if you'd just ask her out. You're such a gentleman!"

Kyoya snorted. He loved how Ranka flipped so quickly from one emotion to another. Or how easily he could go from having Kyoya making grandbabies with his daughter to calling Kyoya a gentleman. Ranka always thought the best of him, no matter the situation. It made Kyoya feel valued in a way that he had never felt before.

Ranka continued on to ask Kyoya how his businesses were doing. Kyoya wasn't sure how or why, but he had confided in Ranka about trying to upstage his father while managing the host club. In fact, he had shared more with Ranka than he had with anyone in a long time.

Right before they hung up, Ranka said, "Oh, I forgot to ask. Where are you going?"

"Since Haruhi doesn't have a passport, we've decided to stay at my family's private beach in Okinawa."

"Okinawa, hmm? It gets a lot of storms this time of year," Ranka trailed off and then cleared his throat.

Changing to his masculine voice, he continued. "Kyoya, I need you to promise me something. Haruhi... She wouldn't want me to share this, but I can't let my baby go without someone to protect her... Haruhi is terrified of thunder."

Kyoya was surprised. The tough and independent Haruhi had a phobia of thunder. He had begun to think that she wasn't afraid of anything other than failing to become a lawyer like her mother. And more debt. And never eating fancy tuna. And Tamaki's bone-crushing hugs.

"I'm embarrassed to say that I don't often get to help her through the storms because of work. She has had to face this phobia on her own since Kotoko died. Haruhi will find a small space and tough it out. She cries the whole time and screams with every peal. I want your word that you will watch over her if a storm hits."

Kyoya hesitated. Being alone with Haruhi while she was vulnerable posed many dangers to his decision to not pursue Haruhi. He was trying to _create_ barriers, not knock them down.

Ranka interrupted his thought process.

"I know why you're hesitating. And you're overthinking it. Kyoya, I'm asking you to protect my baby girl. Damn whatever personal issues you have and man up."

"Yes, sir," Kyoya responded immediately. He was silent a moment and then said softly, "Despite my hesitation, Ranka, looking after your daughter will be an honor and a pleasure."

Ranka screamed with joy again. "A pleasure?! Oh, Kyoya, you naughty boy! Alright, I've decided. It's yes! Yes, I want grandbabies! They'll be gorgeous _and_ smart!"

Kyoya just rolled his eyes and pulled up a browser to check the weather in Okinawa the following weekend, hoping for clear skies.

Well, damn.


	3. The Realization

**Author's Note** : I did not research how one would attempt to overcome a phobia of thunder. Kyoya and I did our best. :)

 **Chapter 2 - The Realization**

If Kyoya were a lesser man, he would have wiped the sweat off his brow. But Kyoya was not a lesser man; he was the Cool Type. He stood stoically in his swim trunks and a top that revealed his six pack _next_ to the tent set up for the hosts, not under it, because it gave the ladies the fan service they expected. Exotic locale plus lots of skin equaled happy clients that would want to spend money on mementos. Kyoya's glasses gleamed in the sunlight.

While letting the ladies ogle, Kyoya turned back to the problem that had been plaguing him all week. There were too many scenarios to plan for when thinking about where Haruhi would be when the storm hit. Would they be at dinner? Would they be in front of others? Would they be outside? He could narrow it down, of course, but he was still at the preparation stage for his plans to help Haruhi and the storm was coming tonight.

When he decided the ladies had just the right amount of ogling opportunity, Kyoya turned and walked toward one of the tables his staff had prepared for the host club's use. He sat at an empty table and looked down at his clipboard.

He really needed to think. This wasn't his usual type of problem. He couldn't throw money at it, he wouldn't arrange for someone else to handle it (give someone else a chance to see her vulnerable? Not a chance), and logic couldn't solve the problem. Logic would, of course, help him _approach_ the problem, but a phobia wasn't something you solved with logic. You used comfort, if his extensive research was correct, and comfort was _not_ something he was good at.

Kyoya's thoughts were rudely interrupted when Hikaru and Kaoru stood next to Kyoya's table.

"I can't believe he fooled us," Hikaru said and picked up the beach ball that the twins had been playing with.

"Who'd have thought he'd bring the ladies with us?" Kaoru lamented, watching Haruhi charm said ladies.

"We certainly didn't expect it," Hikaru continued as if Kyoya couldn't hear them from five feet away.

Rolling his eyes at their attempt to get a reaction out of him, Kyoya coolly remarked, "You were invited on this all-expenses-paid vacation for a reason. And that is to keep our clients entertained."

Though those clients were _also_ invited for a reason, Kyoya admitted silently. Some well-placed subliminal messaging on Kyoya's part resulted in Tamaki "deciding" to invite the ladies to "protect Haruhi's virtue." That was the line that Kyoya fed Tamaki, but the real reason was rather petty. Kyoya just didn't want the other hosts seeing Haruhi in her swimsuit. If that was a little unreasonable, fine. He paused. Okay, it was extremely unreasonable, but he was able to conveniently justify it as following Ranka's demand to protect Haruhi.

Hikaru spoke up. "We know, but with the ladies here..."

"Haruhi can't change into her swimsuit," Kaoru finished the sentence. They looked so disappointed.

Kyoya's inner Shadow King chuckled mercilessly at their disappointment, though he appeared quite calm on the outside.

Tamaki spoke up from where he lay on a nearby lounge chair. "I've got it under control. My little angel shouldn't be prancing around in a swimsuit, at least not in front of two perverts like you."

Kyoya silently agreed with that, but he would have said three perverts - not two - especially as he watched Tamaki begin to wriggle whilst engaged in his inner mind theater.

Disgusted, Kyoya stood up and walked away. He went to oversee the delivery that his onion squad arranged for Honey-senpai.

Once Kyoya reached the semi-truck, he stopped and flipped to the right page on his clipboard. He double-checked that all was accounted for and directed them to the right area on the beach.

As Kyoya watched the officers pass buckets of shell fish down the line, his Shadow King senses tingled. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mori-senpai studying him from the top of a large rock.

"Mori-senpai," Kyoya acknowledged, "my family's private police force has stopped by. They wanted to make it up to Honey-senpai for attacking him at the water park. So they've brought shell fish."

He turned back to what he was doing. Moments later, he heard Haruhi exclaim, "What the hell?!"

Curiosity getting the better of him, Kyoya walked out from behind the rock formation to look at Haruhi.

A small smile made its way to his face as he watched Haruhi's enthusiasm while gathering the shell fish.

"We're going to have some fancy side dishes tonight!" Haruhi exclaimed, brimming with happiness.

My God. The smile on her face alone. She was stunning.

"Senpai!" Haruhi called out as she waved in excitement.

Kyoya's heart flipped. Was she addressing him?

"Dinner is going to be awesome! It's a major haul!"

Her joy caught the attention of everyone around them.

"Oh, I'm just so proud. Look at my little girl," Tamaki gushed, flushed with happiness at her happiness.

Kyoya choked. Tamaki's daddy/daughter thing was wrong on so many levels, but it prevented his friend from realizing his feelings for her, so Kyoya just ignored it.

Haruhi continued, "Dinner's gonna be awesome. It'll be a real treat!"

Kyoya watched as Tamaki walked over to Haruhi and held up a crab for her to inspect. "Tell me, Haruhi. Isn't this crab ... crab-tivating?"

Kyoya turned around so he didn't have to see the display. Just because he was okay with the daddy/daughter thing didn't mean he wanted to watch when Tamaki did what, when done by a sane person, was considered flirting.

Even though he was facing away from her, Kyoya could still hear the smile in Haruhi's voice when she responded to Tamaki.

"Oh yeah!"

"You're so cute!" Tamaki gushed again.

Kyoya accidentally stabbed his clipboard with his pen.

He was in the middle of counting to ten when the girls started screaming behind him. He spun around, looking for the cause. They were all running away from Tamaki. Upon closer inspection, a centipede was crawling out of the crab Tamaki held.

Kyoya watched as Haruhi calmly picked up the bug and threw it over the big rock. Kyoya absently wondered if it hit any members of his police force.

"Hey Haruhi," Hikaru and Kaoru said as they leaned on Haruhi's shoulders.

Hikaru began, "Now I know most girls aren't really the bug-loving type, and I certainly didn't think that _you_ were, but-"

"Don't you think you could have been easier on that little guy?" Kaoru finished.

"Oh, come on. It's not dead. It takes a lot more than that to kill a bug." Haruhi replied in her no-nonsense voice. A normal guy might not like her practicality, but it was really attractive to Kyoya. She was so different from the other ladies who had come to the beach - different, really, from all the ladies he had ever known.

He smiled as he envisioned how her practicality would play out as his wife, telling him exactly what she thought, not pulling punches, pointing out that they did not need an 8 million yen vase - that they could get one for a fraction of the price - evaluating business proposals with a critical eye, providing him legal advice... she truly was a fascinating woman and he couldn't wait to start a life with her.

That thought stopped him dead in his tracks.

Was this it? Had he decided to forgo his family's expectations, his own preconceived notions about what his future would be like, as well as risk Tamaki's friendship to actively pursue Haruhi?

The answer was _yes_. Yes! He could find solutions to all of the issues that prevented him from having a relationship with her. He was the Shadow King. He could analyze and overcome any obstacle. That was what he was known for in his schooling and in the business world; why should it be any different for his love life? He'd tackle the specifics later, but yes, he was absolutely going after the woman he loved.

He was riding high for a moment when a sudden thought struck him. What finally pushed him into action, what finally forced him to accept his feelings, was not some grandiose idea, revelation, or event. Haruhi simply picked up a centipede. He groaned. He was so pathetic. If things worked out, they would have to make up a story to tell the children, because this was too embarrassing.

While he made peace with that, Kyoya's Shadow King-self heard something that made him tune in to a conversation between Tamaki and the twins.

"I'm sure she's afraid of something," Kyoya heard Tamaki babble.

Oh no. Kyoya saw where this was going. He had a moment to decide what would serve his purposes better - deflecting the twins' interest in her "weakness" or guiding it so that no one actually found out the truth about Haruhi. He didn't think Haruhi or Ranka would want others to know about her astraphobia. He made a hard decision fast as the twins declared, "It's called the Who Can Find Out Haruhi's Weakness game. So, think you're up to it?" The twins got in Tamaki's face.

In the amount of time it took for the twins to goad Tamaki into playing the game, Kyoya quickly came up with a rough plan and firmed up most of the details. He'd have to figure out the rest as he went along, but for now he had to really delve into his Shadow King persona and the air of mystery that surrounded him.

"The deadline is sunset tomorrow," Hikaru said.

Kaoru added, "Whoever finds out her weakness first, wins."

Cue Shadow King.

Kyoya made his glasses gleam as he proclaimed, "And I have the perfect prize for the game's lucky winner." He held up three pictures of a younger, feminine Haruhi in very attractive poses.

The shocked and greedy looks on Tamaki's and the twins' faces, he expected. He did _not_ expect Honey-senpai's enthusiastic interest or, worst of all, Mori-senpai's blush. What the hell did _that_ mean? Kyoya didn't consider the other hosts as real rivals, but Mori-senpai - he was different.

Tamaki drew closer to look at the pictures as Kyoya struggled with the realization that the _whole_ host club was attracted to the girl he loved. He had known about Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki... but Honey-senpai was a huge surprise - and Mori-senpai: he was a daunting opponent.

Without thinking, Kyoya said, "I guess that means we're all competing."

Luckily, his words fit the situation at hand, so no one realized he was talking about Haruhi's affections.

It was irrational, but Kyoya was suddenly irritated with how closely Tamaki was examining the photos of Haruhi. Kyoya started moving the photos constantly so Tamaki couldn't get a good look.

Then the question was asked. The question that Kyoya had been dreading (but it was worth it, to protect Haruhi's real fear).

"Where'd you get those pictures of Haruhi?" Tamaki demanded.

A moment passed and then Honey-senpai added, "Hey, wait a minute. Where _did_ you get those pictures, Kyo-chan?"

The question was asked in his innocent voice, but Kyoya heard the accusations beneath the light tone. Despite his youthful appearance, Honey-senpai was a year older than Kyoya and more worldly than most gave him credit for. The Haninozukas were raised from birth to protect others and if Honey-senpai, who was apparently interested in Haruhi, thought that Kyoya was acting like a pervert towards her, there was no telling what his senpai might do to him.

And Kyoya couldn't fault him - he knew how bad this looked. Kyoya had earlier claimed that there were three perverts on this beach. He could easily see how this made it look like there were four. Yes, there he stood, on a beach, with pictures of Haruhi from middle school appearing from no where and just randomly on his person, like he couldn't bear to be apart from them for a single second, but it wasn't entirely his fault!

Ranka had foolishly slipped him another Haruhi goodie basket this morning when Kyoya went to pick her up. Not wanting Haruhi to see the incriminating items, Kyoya quickly hid them. And then took them with him. To the beach. In his pockets. Okay, upon further reflection, he could have stashed them anywhere. Perhaps it was a little ... sentimental ( _not_ perverted) to keep them on his person. Maybe he instinctively knew then what he knew now. There was no way he was going to let her go.

Kyoya could see the suspicion in Honey-senpai's and Mori-senpai's eyes. The other hosts faded away; all of his attention needed to be focused on this one moment. Kyoya met their eyes in challenge. He wanted to make it clear that he was going after Haruhi. These men were his real rivals. They should know that another player had entered the field.

Looking directly at them, he gave his best host club smile and said, "I have my sources." He paused briefly to let that sink in. "Why don't we just leave it at that for the moment?"

He watched his senpais' reactions to the knowledge that Kyoya somehow had connections to Haruhi that they knew nothing about. Honey-senpai stiffened in surprise and looked at Kyoya as if he were something new and interesting that bore further watching. Mori-senpai, on the other hand... Mori-senpai's eyes narrowed. Then relaxed as if dismissing Kyoya as competitor all together.

Oh, utter and instant _rage_.

Indignation _suffused_ his entire being. Kyoya never failed in his ventures and this would be no different. Mori-senpai was wrong to dismiss him.

What did they actually have to offer her - one was a short Lolita. The other didn't talk.

So what if Mori-senpai was the first man to ever make Haruhi blush? Yeah, that's right. Kyoya saw it when reviewing the tapes of the host club's visit to his family's theme park. Mori-senpai picked her up and Haruhi actually blushed, while resting her hand on the man's chest. Haruhi. The girl who was so dense as to misunderstand at least 30 confessions in middle school. Yes, Mori-senpai was a strong rival indeed. Kyoya gritted his teeth.

And what about the historical dynamic of the Morinozukas serving the Haninozukas? How did that work when they both liked the same girl? Would Mori-senpai hold back for Honey-senpai's sake?

Kyoya's eyes slowly flicked from Mori-senpai to Honey-senpai and back again, eyebrow raising. Mori-senpai stiffened and clenched his jaw. Honey-senpai frowned slightly.

Ah, he touched a sore point there.

Interesting.

This tension was clearly not a recent development for the cousins. How had Kyoya not noticed it before?

And exactly _how_ long had the two of them liked Haruhi anyway?

Kyoya mentally shook his head. No matter. He would do everything in his power to demonstrate his merits to Haruhi and gain her favor.

Kyoya was sure that if this were a shoujo anime, lightning would be seen flickering between the three of them right now. The other hosts went about their business, unaware of the power struggle happening before their very eyes. But these three would not forget this exchange.

 **End chapter.**

 **Author's notes** : If you do not think Honey-senpai could be a contender for Haruhi's heart, check out mcangel1976's work "Another Chance." It changed how I viewed Honey and is truly excellent.

I really hope you enjoy how this could actually be happening as you watch the anime episode. I'm having a great time weaving everything together.

 **Extra "scene" that I had to cut for flow** :

Kyoya really didn't mind offering the pictures as prizes for the winner because he knew no one else would win. In fact, in the eight seconds he had had time to plan, he figured out how to win without telling anyone about Haruhi's phobia. He would simply put her and Tamaki in a room and have Tamaki explain his inner mind theater escapades in detail. Kyoya was pretty sure she'd be terrified.


	4. The Cliff

**Chapter 3 - The Cliff**

While the others were trying their best to figure out Haruhi's fear, Kyoya had to try his best to plan how to help Haruhi with her _real_ fear. He left the hosts and the ladies to their own devices, climbed to the top of a bluff that overlooked everything and sat down.

He stared blankly at his clipboard. Comfort. He, the Shadow King, was supposed to comfort Haruhi during the storm. And definitely not in the way that Ranka was hoping (Kyoya imagined he could hear Ranka's disappointed sobbing all the way from here).

But what _could_ he do? He wanted to be sincere, and all of the generic ideas seemed so trite. What could he, Kyoya, offer her that no one else could? Not as a rich person, not as someone well-connected, but from who he was, as one person to another person. What was unique to him?

Who was he?

He was a cold, manipulative person who cared only about what benefited him. Or at least that's what everyone thought. It was true that he enjoyed making a profit, but it was a game and a drive to prove he was great at whatever he did, despite being the third son.

He began absentmindedly jotting down notes to help him process. Maybe he could figure out a way to help her from one of his traits.

He kept writing, hoping something would spark. Suddenly, something did. He knew what he could do to comfort Haruhi, something that would even tip the scales in her favor, because she was going to be very angry when she found out that Kyoya had been talking to Ranka this whole time without her knowledge.

He spent the rest of the afternoon preparing.

When he finally looked up, it was sunset. He had heard some clients calling out to Haruhi from the top of a nearby cliff and it caught his attention.

"It's dangerous, be careful!" He heard Haruhi warn the ladies from where she stood on the beach.

Kyoya stood up abruptly, noticing something that they had not. Two men were climbing the cliff that the ladies were currently on. He pulled his cell phone and called his onion squad. He briefed the leader on the situation and told him to take care of it. Kyoya hung up and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

He closely monitored the situation even though he knew his force would take care of it. The ladies' safety was paramount. The trespassing men started moving towards the girls and it looked like they engaged in dialogue. Then the taller man grabbed one of the ladies' wrists.

Kyoya looked away to see how far away his squad was and his heart suddenly dropped into his stomach as he saw Haruhi start to run to the top of the cliff. She was going to be facing those men on her own - they could be drunk or violent!

He started moving immediately towards the cliff, but he wouldn't be there in time to support her if something happened.

. . . Shit! Haruhi just threw a bucket of sea shells at one of the punks. Everything was escalating.

Kyoya slipped as he scrambled down the path, scraping his hands as he landed. He angrily pushed himself back up and forced his body to move faster than he ever had before, hurrying to get to her.

To his utter horror, he watched as Haruhi was pushed off the cliff.

 _No_.

He ran faster, but he was powerless to stop what was happening.

It was okay. It was okay. There was a chance - a good chance - that she was okay. She could have fallen safely into water! And not, he choked, onto the rocks below.

And then Tamaki was there; he sprinted across the top of the rock and leapt after Haruhi. Kyoya kept running - from his angle, he wasn't able to see them, whether they were safe or injured, or even where they landed - water, sand, or . . . rocks. His desperation grew.

He finally reached the cliff and looked over the edge. He saw Tamaki swimming backward toward shore with his arm wrapped around Haruhi's arms and shoulders. Kyoya pulled out his cell phone and dialed the director of his family's hospital in Okinawa. As Kyoya moved quickly down to the shore, he offered the doctor a new pediatric wing if he could get to the Ootori resort within 7 minutes. He hung up once he heard the doctor stammer in the affirmative.

Kyoya reached the shore in record time, joining Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai who had seen the whole thing from where they were on the beach.

He stood still, watching Tamaki slowly make his way to shore with the girl Kyoya loved. She wasn't moving. That didn't mean anything, right? It was normal to be exhausted after a life-threatening event.

"Kyo-chan," Honey-senpai said tentatively from beside him. "She'll be okay." The smaller man paused. "She has to be."

"Hn."

Kyoya looked at his senpais and realized that they had said something. He hadn't heard them. Was he in shock? That wasn't possible; he wasn't the one who fell in the water.

He finally noticed the roaring in his ears and that his hearing seemed to come and go. It _was_ shock. He needed to do something; a distraction to keep him occupied until he could find out how she was. He could still function until he found out for sure that she wasn't okay. Schrödinger's cat, right? She would be. Okay, that is. Not a cat. Obviously.

Right. He was in shock. What to do?

He looked around. Hikaru and Kaoru were missing and the ladies were quickly approaching. That was just enough of a distraction to force him into moving.

Kyoya turned and considered his senpais. They had just calmly set aside their issues and offered him comfort. It was a temporary truce, but all three seemed to be in unspoken agreement. Haruhi's well-being came first.

Kyoya gathered his thoughts and nodded as he came to a decision.

"Honey-senpai, please put the ladies at ease and send them back to their hotel for the evening. Arrange for dinner to be sent to their rooms."

Honey-senpai saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Mori-senpai, stay here and monitor Tamaki. If he flounders, go to him."

"Hn."

As for Kyoya, he had to go see a dead man and his friend.

 **End chapter.**

Hope you enjoyed! A not-shown-in-the-anime scene awaits you in the next chapter. What happens when Kyoya and the twins are on the cliff with the men.

Random fact of the day: Schrödinger's cat is a physics concept. It's the idea that when you have a cat in a closed box - you don't know whether it's alive or dead until you open the box. So, as long as the cat is in the box, it is both alive and dead at the same time. In Kyoya's case, until the moment he sees that Haruhi is hurt, he can function because she is still okay in his head. He is purposefully forgetting the second half. Shock makes you think of really weird things. Please don't blame Kyoya. :)


	5. The Cretins

**Author's Note:** So... Kyoya was much darker here than I wanted, so I tried to clean it up, but then it was too tame, so he reverted back some. This is a romance, not a revenge fic, and I want it lighthearted. However, these two men just threw the love of his life off of a cliff - and he still has no knowledge of the extent of her injuries. Please forgive him. I'm sure Haruhi will later talk him down out of his more fantastical ideas of revenge.

 **Chapter 4 - The Cretins**

As Kyoya expected, Hikaru and Kaoru were... getting acquainted with the lowlifes that were responsible for throwing Haruhi off a cliff. Kyoya stood behind the twins briefly watching with satisfaction as they exacted their revenge. Kyoya didn't begrudge them this. He understood it.

It did, however, need to stop soon.

Kyoya couldn't care less if the twins murdered the cretins, but he had already dallied enough. He needed to go and see whether Haruhi was alright.

Kyoya stepped forward and simply said, "Hikaru, Kaoru." The twins let go of the men and backed off to stand behind Kyoya, ready to jump back in and finish what they started.

The men were on their knees, unable to get up. Kyoya stood above them and they had to crane their necks just to see him.

Despite his urgency, he stayed silent for just a beat, enhancing their fear. Kyoya wasn't going to do anything drastic. He wasn't even going to notify the authorities-not when he had plans to utterly _destroy_ them later. If the police got involved, things would just get complicated. So no police.

Kyoya smiled viciously and the men shuddered.

He broke his silence and spoke in his casual urbane drawl as if simply discussing the weather.

"Let's see... trespassing, unwanted physical contact, attempted murder..."

"Murder?!" One looked up in protest and, seeing Kyoya's glare, meekly looked back down.

A moment passed and then Kyoya continued, keeping his tone light.

"These are the charges I could bring against you. You are on the Ootori private beach, did you know?"

The men paled.

As he stared at the men acting so pitifully in front of him, the box Kyoya had carefully constructed to contain his anger just broke.

These were the men responsible for hurting the one he loved; Kyoya hadn't been able to reach her in time to save her; he wasn't the one with her now - Tamaki was; and Kyoya was wasting time up here dealing with this when all he wanted was to know how Haruhi was doing.

He let the rage he had been restraining slip into his voice - all of the pent up anger, frustration and fear for Haruhi - as he told them exactly who they were dealing with.

"And _I_ am _Kyoya_ Ootori," he snarled.

Just before the men fainted from fear, Kyoya reined himself in and managed to switch back to his polite tone.

"Since we are about to go check on the gentleman that you so rudely threw off a cliff, kindly hand me your IDs and my private police force will escort you off the premises. If you do so quickly enough, I won't call the authorities."

The men moved pretty rapidly for being beaten half to death.

Kyoya took their IDs. "If you want these back, you can find me at this location." He flicked a business card insultingly at their feet.

"We'll have a lot to talk about." He smiled evilly.

The onion squad moved in and carted the men off of the premises.

That done, Kyoya turned and marched down the rock to check on Haruhi. Hikaru caught up and stepped directly in front of Kyoya, forcing him to stop.

Kyoya glared at him and made to move pass him.

Kaoru managed to catch up and put a hand on Kyoya's arm.

"Wait!" He puffed. "We were just ... disappointed ... that all you did ... was take their ID cards."

"Disappointed?!" Hikaru said incredulously. "Try pissed." He shoved Kyoya hard enough to push him back a couple of feet. "What the heck was that about, asshole. Don't you care about Haruhi at all? They frickin pushed Haruhi off a cliff and you're all 'oh, we're sorry, we won't call the cops on you.' You just let the bastards go."

Kyoya moved quickly, grabbing Hikaru's shoulder and slamming the IDs in his face.

"Do you know what I could do with these?" He said in a voice that promised death.

The dark aura started swirling around him.

"I can find out everything about them - if and where they attend university, if and where they're employed, what their goals are, what makes them happiest - and I could take it all away. They could find themselves rejected from every university, unemployable in any career, all life goals unattainable. I could sell their identities to the highest bidder. Hell, I could arrange for death certificates to be falsified and watch as their lives crumbled around them. It's hard to do anything when you're officially dead and it would take years to rectify.

"You wonder why I didn't bring in the authorities? Because _I_ am going to be the authority."

Kyoya let go of Hikaru and took a step back.

"If," Kyoya choked, "if Haruhi did not... is not well, then I'll arrange for them to be arrested," he said quietly.

Kyoya was silent a moment and then cleared his throat, voice becoming strong again.

"By the way, for plausible deniability, please take note that I said I 'could' do all of these things. Not that I would. It's really in your best interests not to be involved."

He took a step forward, then paused.

"Oh, and Hikaru?

"Don't. Ever. Say. That I do not care for Haruhi. Ever. Again. If you think that, you're a bigger idiot than the two morons I just kicked out of here."

Kyoya shoved Hikaru out of his way and continued down the rock formation. His adrenaline and blood were coursing through his body so forcefully it felt like his body and his mind had united in one purpose - to get to Haruhi immediately.

The twins stayed where they were for a moment and then shuddered. They looked at each other and at the same time they said, "The dark lord. He has appeared!"


	6. The First Touch (& The Shell Fish)

**Chapter 5 - The First Touch**

Kyoya and the twins returned to the shore to find that Tamaki was finally walking out of the ocean with Haruhi in his arms and the sun setting behind them.

It made for a romantic picture, one that would have irked Kyoya if he hadn't been so worried about Haruhi.

"Haru-chan!" Honey-senpai called out.

"Boss!" Hikaru exclaimed.

Tamaki looked grave as he stared down into Haruhi's face, walking the final few steps to shore.

Kyoya quickly looked Haruhi over from where he stood. He was relieved to find that she only looked tired. There were no obvious injuries, though he was glad the doctor should already be here somewhere. He'd feel better once he had a professional's opinion.

Actually, he'd feel better once Tamaki took his hands off of Haruhi.

Seeing his friend hold her made Kyoya ache with jealousy - not a petty jealousy, but a gut-wrenching jealousy, because Tamaki was able to know for sure that Haruhi was alright because he held her in his arms.

Kyoya desperately needed that reassurance; would give anything for it, in fact. It was like it wasn't real that she was okay until he could touch her for himself. In their entire history together, Kyoya had never had physical contact with Haruhi - no handshake, no pat on the shoulder, not even a brush of arms when standing next to her. He had purposefully done so, because he wanted barriers between them. But now?

Kyoya needed to touch her like he needed air to breathe.

Coming up with a way to kill two birds with one stone, Kyoya took his shirt off with the intent of using it to warm Haruhi up.

He heard Tamaki ask, "Where'd they go?," but Kyoya didn't answer right away. He leaned forward and draped his shirt over Haruhi, letting his hands rest slightly longer than necessary, relishing the knowledge that she was there. She was okay. She made it.

Pulling back sooner than he would have liked, he answered Tamaki.

"We took their ID cards and respectfully asked them to leave." Kyoya was worried that the twins would say otherwise, but they mercifully remained silent.

"The girls all went back to the hotel, and I've called a doctor. He should be arriving here any minute now."

"Thank you," Tamaki said, sounding grateful.

Kyoya was immediately defensive.

' _Thank you'_? Who was _he_ to say 'thank you'? Kyoya didn't do it for _him_. He'd done it for Haruhi. A capable woman who could speak for herself and who, in fact, was about to do so before Tamaki butted in. ' _Thank you,'_ the voice in his head mimicked He snorted. It was such a possessive phrase; one that implied "thank you for doing this for my woman."

She was most _definitely_ not Tamaki's woman - he didn't have the right to say that. It really set Kyoya's teeth on edge.

But this wasn't the time or place to knock him down a peg. Kyoya would think of some way to correct Tamaki later.

From where she rested in Tamaki's arms, Haruhi said, "I'm fine, you guys." She patted Tamaki's shoulder to indicate she wanted down. "I don't need a doctor."

Haruhi stepped onto the sand and started putting on Kyoya's shirt. He watched, fascinated. He didn't realize it before this moment, but there was a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing the woman you like wear your clothing. He liked it enough he was almost too distracted to hear that she didn't want a doctor.

Of course she was seeing his doctor. He'd threaten to add to her debt and come up with a ridiculous amount until she agreed.

Tamaki's sudden change in expression drew Kyoya's attention and he tensed. Whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be pretty.

Haruhi was about to button the top of the shirt when Tamaki quietly said, "What were you thinking?"

Oh, yeah. This wasn't going to go well.

Haruhi was obviously exhausted and just had a trying experience. This was not the time to lecture her. Not to mention, "what were you thinking" was never a good way to start a productive conversation.

Tamaki blundered on. "You know you're not like Honey-senpai. You're not a martial arts master."

Haruhi paused in the process of buttoning the shirt and looked towards Tamaki. From her profile, Haruhi looked exhausted and disbelieving. She turned to face Tamaki entirely and Tamaki grabbed her by the shoulders.

Kyoya's hands fisted. He wondered if Ranka would want him to protect Haruhi from moments like this as well.

"Why did you confront them? What made you think you would stand a chance? You against two boys?"

Haruhi answered matter-of-factly. "But it doesn't matter if they're boys and I'm a girl. I was there. I had to do something." Her voice started getting heated. "There wasn't any time to think-"

"That's no excuse, you idiot!" Tamaki yelled in her face. "Don't forget, you're a girl."

Kyoya fought against the almost overwhelming need to step forward, the urge to protect Haruhi from being yelled at and manhandled was so strong, but Haruhi would resent his intrusion into the matter and he knew Haruhi was strong enough to handle things.

Haruhi's voice lowered to a dangerous level. "Look, I'm sorry you had to come and save me, senpai. But I don't understand why you're so mad at me right now. I don't think I did anything wrong!"

Tamaki's face went blank. A moment passed and he let go of Haruhi's shoulders. "You don't think so? Fine. Whatever you say."

Tamaki walked passed Haruhi and then through the group of hosts. He paused. "But I'm not speaking to you until you can admit that you were wrong!"

Kyoya mentally rolled his eyes. Tamaki wouldn't be able to handle not talking to Haruhi. Kyoya would bet millions of yen that Tamaki would cave and speak to her first.

Haruhi wouldn't have an issue with not talking to Tamaki. Or at least, Kyoya didn't think so. If she had been disposed to think more kindly of Tamaki because of his dramatic rescue, it was lost when he yelled at her.

For the first time since the conversation started Kyoya got to see Haruhi's face as she turned around to glare at Tamaki. There was color on her cheeks. He didn't know if that meant she was embarrassed, angry, or getting a fever. He was grateful she would be seeing a doctor momentarily.

 **End chapter.**

 **Bonus!**

 **A Mori-Drabble to set up the next chapter**

This drabble is dedicated to all of us who can't choose between Kyoya and Mori.

Author's note: I recognize my tendency to delve deep into Kyoya's thought processes and emotions, but I justify it with Kyoya's depth of character and that he always has a lot going on mentally and emotionally. Mori is laconic, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the same depth of thought processes. Despite that, since this is Kyoya's story, I have decided to make Mori's thought processes choppier and shorter than Kyoya's.

 **Set immediately after the chapter above ends.**

 **Mori's point of view.**

 **Chapter 5.5 - The Shell Fish**

It bothered him that she was wearing Kyoya's shirt.

He set that aside though as he observed her.

He tried to decide whether he should pick her up and carry her to the villa. He typically waited for Haruhi to ask for his help, but she looked exhausted.

He settled for walking next to her for now, monitoring her as she walked, making sure she didn't fall.

She was silent on the way back to the villa. Mori was comfortable with silence; he knew she was tired and thinking about what Tamaki said.

She stopped when they were 100 meters from the house and Mori turned to face her, curious.

"Oh no!"

Mori was concerned.

"The shell fish!"

He held in a small smile.

"What happened to it?" The worried look on her face as she glanced up at him was so cute. "Is it okay?"

"Hn."

She rewarded him with a smile that lit up her face.

He blushed in response. Not wanting her to see his blush, Mori put his hand on her back and guided her the rest of the distance and into the house.

Kyoya was standing in the foyer.

Mori's hand flexed and then relaxed, remaining on her back. He simply looked at Kyoya and said, "Kitchen?"

Kyoya didn't answer right away and just stared at them. Then he raised his hand and pointed.

Mori nodded in acknowledgement and lightly guided Haruhi in the direction of the kitchen.

Mori could feel Kyoya burning a hole in the back of his head. He smiled when the door to the kitchen closed behind him, cutting off any view that Kyoya had of the two of them.

Mori moved back, standing an appropriate distance from Haruhi.

Not that she noticed. Haruhi was staring at the mounds of shell fish they collected, which Mitskuni was currently prepping for dinner.

He heard her whisper "major haul," and had to hold in another smile.

The urge to smile left him though when Haruhi started to head to the wall with the aprons.

Mitskuni, on the other hand, beamed. "Yay! I've always wanted to cook with Haru-chan! It'll be like when we're newlyweds."

Mori paused on hearing Mitskuni's desire for her to stay (not to mention his cousin's blatant assumption that he and Haruhi would get married), but his concern for Haruhi overruled his typical deference to his cousin and he went against his cousin's wishes for the first time.

"Haruhi." A thrill went through him just saying her name. "No. Rest."

Mitskuni and Haruhi both turned and stared at him in silence.

Mitskuni covered the awkward moment with his trademark laugh and a "that's right, Haru-chan, how can we impress you with our cooking skills if you help?"

She looked skeptical. "Can you guys really cook? It's not as easy as it looks on TV, you know."

Mori understood her suspicion. It was warranted after the way the hosts acted around her. They hadn't exactly left a great track record with practical life skills.

"Yes." Mori answered her.

Haruhi looked into his eyes as if looking for something. Apparently, she found it.

"Okay. I'll rest."

Kyoya's sudden voice surprised them all. "How convenient. Haruhi, the doctor is waiting for you. Let me escort you to your room."

Mori watched as Kyoya walked over to Haruhi while she grumbled about not needing a doctor. Without touching her, Kyoya put his arm behind her and gestured forward with his other arm. Sighing, Haruhi started walking forward with Kyoya. The moment Haruhi's back was turned, Kyoya looked over and met his eyes in challenge. Kyoya stared at him until they left the room.

Mori stood still for a moment and then snorted. He didn't think the day would come when Kyoya Ootori would be petty, but there it was.


	7. The Threat

**Author's Note:** This was originally a beast of a chapter (4,500 words!). After much debate, I decided to break this baby into three chapters. It took a long time to write due to a bazillion rewrites and revisions (you might think I'm joking, but insert insane maniacal laughter here and then draw your own conclusions). Reviewers, thank you! Your reviews would kick my butt every time I got stuck.

This chapter takes place immediately after Tamaki yelled at Haruhi after rescuing her from the water. It should sound very familiar as it's Kyoya's view of the bonus Mori-Drabble.

Enjoy!

 **Chapter 6 - The Threat**

After Tamaki stormed off, the remaining hosts walked back to the villa. Without knowing it, Kyoya pulled slightly ahead, deep in thought about the misunderstanding that had occurred between Tamaki and Haruhi. Kyoya's thoughts then turned to his _own_ disagreement with Haruhi - the one about seeing a doctor. He glanced at his watch as he climbed the steps to his estate and paused at the top. Said doctor was late.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses in irritation, but then let out a breath. Despite the unprofessionalism, it was good that the doctor had not yet arrived. Kyoya still needed to coerce... ah, convince Haruhi to see the doctor. He turned around to look for Haruhi and found her walking slowly side by side with Mori-senpai.

...And there it was. The major difference between the two rivals. While Kyoya planned and schemed and thought big-picture, Mori-senpai always went right to the source and helped directly.

Though he normally scoffed at Mori-senpai's approach, he couldn't argue against its appropriateness in this situation. He too should have remained by Haruhi's side.

He would rectify that now.

Kyoya started down the steps intending to separate the two by making a case for Haruhi to see the doctor when Kyoya suddenly stopped.

Haruhi had turned and began talking to Mori-senpai, a worried expression on her face. Mori-senpai stood, listening attentively as Haruhi discussed something with him that obviously concerned her.

A pang filled Kyoya. He didn't want to know that Haruhi trusted Mori-senpai enough to share her worries with him. Was she telling him about her fear of thunder? It wasn't an unreasonable guess. It was starting to get cloudy and Kyoya knew Haruhi looked to Mori-senpai as a protector - a fact which irked Kyoya to no end (He was a protector too. He just did everything from behind the scenes).

Kyoya felt his insecurities rise and turned around before he had to see more. It was ridiculous that such a small action could affect him this strongly, but it had seemed oddly intimate. He was irritated, jealous, and uneasy.

...And hurt, a small voice added.

Kyoya wished he could be as detached and analytical as his reputation painted him to be, but damn it, he was human too. He decided that he would allow himself to feel this way for the time it took to climb these stairs and close the door behind him. Then he would once again be the confident Kyoya Ootori, the man who was rational and could solve any problem. But for now, as he climbed these steps, he was simply a man who was hurt by seeing the woman he loved rely on another man.

Kyoya opened the door, walked over the threshold and closed the door behind him without turning around. He closed his eyes and stood still for a moment, hand still on the doorknob. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and let it out.

Okay, he was ready now. If Haruhi told Mori-senpai about her astraphobia, Kyoya would figure out how to support her best. If Haruhi's trust of Mori-senpai was a sign of romantic interest, Kyoya would woo her better. It wasn't like him to give up and so he wouldn't. If he had been stronger, he would have stayed to see what happened or even joined their conversation. One cannot plan a counterattack if one does not have accurate information.

With that, Kyoya moved a little further into the foyer and turned around to wait for Haruhi and his senpai to enter. He would gather the intel now.

A couple of minutes later, Mori-senpai opened the door and guided Haruhi into the room. Kyoya's eyes narrowed in on Mori-senpai's hand on Haruhi's back. He looked up to see what Haruhi thought about this and then looked at Mori-senpai. His rival tried to hide a small smirk, but it was plain on his face.

"Kitchen?" Mori-senpai asked.

Kyoya analyzed Haruhi's expression once more and decided that Haruhi was as dense as ever and that the hand on her back wasn't a mark of favor for Mori-senpai. It was, however, well played by his rival.

Kyoya simply raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the kitchen, watching as Mori-senpai continued to rest his hand on her back. The man even had the guts to move his hand along her back to her hip as he walked towards the kitchen door.

Kyoya's glasses gleamed. If looks could kill, the body count would now be at 4: the two trespassers, Hikaru, and now Mori-senpai would be dead.

Kyoya's indignation and rage grew exponentially until they burst forth and he took a step to follow the pair into the kitchen.

His progress was interrupted by a knock on the front door and the doctor walked through, his breathing ragged as if he had run from his car. "Excuse me," he bowed.

Kyoya was _not_ in a mood to be generous with the doctor. The doctor did not make it in the seven minutes that Kyoya had demanded therefore Kyoya would not be making a contribution to a new pediatric wing. He was _this_ close to pulling _all_ his funding, but he knew that was just his irritation talking. There were merits to keeping things cordial with this particular hospital, so while no extra money would be given, he wouldn't stop his current donations either.

"Doctor." Kyoya gave a clipped nod. "Allow me to show you to the room. Your patient will be there shortly." Kyoya walked the doctor down the hall to the second door on the right.

"Wait here." Kyoya left to get Haruhi. Away from the Haruhi/Mori-senpai situation for a few minutes, Kyoya was able to calm down. He was actually happy that the doctor came when he did. Had he not, Kyoya would have gone charging in after Haruhi and most likely created a scene that he would regret in the quiet hours of the night.

Instead, he was able to walk to the kitchen and slip in quietly.

What he saw, however, stopped him in his tracks and he took the scene in with rising panic. What was this atmosphere? Haruhi was staring into Mori-senpai's eyes as if she were drowning in his gaze. A chagrined and slightly angry Honey-senpai stood behind them, looking at Mori-senpai through narrowed eyes. For his part, Mori-senpai returned Haruhi's gaze with his own that was full of obvious concern and, if you weren't as dense as Haruhi, full of love.

Whatever was happening here, Kyoya had to interrupt it _immediately_.

He opened his mouth to say something when Haruhi suddenly spoke. "Okay, I'll rest."

Kyoya jumped on the opportunity.

"How convenient," he drawled. His sudden utterance caused all three hosts to jump. "Haruhi, the doctor is waiting for you. Let me escort you to your room."

He walked over to Haruhi, blatantly ignoring her comments about not needing a doctor. As he walked, he fought his body's fight or flight response. His base-level instincts demanded a dominance play to show his senpais that Haruhi was _his_. He desperately wanted to put his arm around her, put his hand on her waist, to touch her. To get rid of the taint of Mori-senpai's arm around her not five minutes earlier; to show that he was at least Mori-senpai's equal in this; to get her away from Mori-senpai and out of this weirdly charged situation as fast as humanly possible...

But Kyoya, an Ootori, was more than his baser instincts.

He mastered himself and simply stood near her, holding out a hand to lead the way and giving her no opportunity to gainsay him by having his other arm in the air behind her.

He did not, however, hold himself back from glaring at Mori-senpai as they left, hoping his nonverbal commentary on how a _real_ gentleman acts was loud and clear.


	8. The Totally Inappropriate Scene

**Chapter 7 - The Totally Inappropriate Scene**

Kyoya's nerves were still firing as he walked Haruhi out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Haruhi didn't know what had passed between the hosts just then, so he needed to act as normal as possible.

He managed to slow his gait to his typical saunter as he led his love to her room, trying to put himself in her shoes.

Haruhi had been dragged to a strange place, pushed off a cliff, yelled at, manhandled, and now had an unwanted doctor's appointment despite being worn out.

If he were her, he would want to walk in silence. So he simply walked next to her, relishing the opportunity to be alone with her.

When they got to her door though, he stopped and allowed himself to put a hand on her arm.

"A moment," he said.

She turned to look at him.

"If you don't mind, I would like to wait outside your room to hear the doctor's diagnosis," he said quietly.

"He's your doctor, senpai. If you ask, he'll just tell you whatever you want to know."

"I want it to be your choice."

"My choice?" She raised an eyebrow as she asked incredulously.

Haruhi looked into his eyes for several moments before responding. His heart sped up as he gazed back at her beautiful brown eyes. Was she getting it? Did she realize he cared for her? That he was concerned for her? That he valued her opinion?

"Hmm... my choice." She looked pleased.

She nodded, a small smile on her face. "Okay, senpai," she said quietly and then walked into her room and quietly closed the door.

Arms crossed, he leaned up against the wall to her room, content to think about their exchange just now. If he was not mistaken, the atmosphere just then was similar to the one he walked in on between her and Mori-senpai. He flattered himself that their exchange was more poignant than her and Mori-senpai's, but even if he looked at it objectively, he still felt better. She didn't treat Mori-senpai any differently than him, which, truthfully, both raised and lowered his morale at the same time.

He sighed, but rallied. He knew that pursuing Haruhi would be emotionally challenging from the start.

Twenty minutes passed and the doctor came out of the room and closed Haruhi's door.

"Ootori-sama," the doctor began. "Fujioka-san cleared all routine exams, no results called for further testing. She's exhausted from her experience and has slight discomfort in her lungs from breathing in some water, none of which remains. All she needs is rest."

Kyoya thanked the doctor, saw the man out and then headed to his own room.

As he walked, thoughts of Mori-senpai's hand on Haruhi's waist and Haruhi's trust in Mori-senpai competed with Haruhi's pleased expression just now and how she looked in Kyoya's shirt. Kyoya needed to focus on preparing for his evening with Haruhi, but with all these thoughts distracting him, he would be all but useless. He decided to focus on a project first so his thoughts could settle.

He opened his door and headed for his desk. Kyoya sat, reached for a pen, and opened to a new page in his black book. Flowers needed to be ordered and sent to each of their clients and it would be profitable in the long run if each lady got a personalized note from "Haruhi." Kyoya thought of Haruhi's relations with the ladies and began to write as if he were her, explaining that "he" was okay, apologizing for scaring them, and thanking them for understanding that "he" needed rest. It was some time later when Kyoya finished, but he knew the return on investment would be worth it.

Task done, he walked over and sat down in the chair in his room. He rested his head on the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and sighed. He was finally able to relax after the utter chaos of today. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he did so, his mind drifted to Haruhi's argument with Tamaki.

In short, Tamaki was a moron. He had let his fear for Haruhi overrule his mouth, focused too much on gender roles, and ended up making Haruhi think that he condemned her for standing up to the attackers. Haruhi would now have her guard up about this topic, making her less likely to listen to the sound advice of calling for help while assisting the ladies and stalling for time.

Despite Tamaki's idiotic approach, the point he spectacularly failed to communicate was a good one. Haruhi had six men to rely on; six men who would give everything to support her in whatever she needed.

The hold up was that Haruhi never thought about asking for help, because, one, she wasn't used to relying on anyone and, two, she didn't know the meaning of the word "limitations." If something had to be done, she did it, no matter the cost to her.

It was obvious that Haruhi became so fiercely independent because of how often Ranka had to work and leave Haruhi alone. She grew up using her own strength and no one else's. As such, when she saw the ladies being accosted on the beach, she didn't think about alerting the hosts; she simply did what had to be done. The danger inherent in the situation wasn't even considered because there was no other alternative in her mind.

And that, right there, was the problem. It worked out today - the ladies were safe, Haruhi was safe, and the punks were taken care of. But what about tomorrow? Or the next day, or next year, or when Kyoya goes to University? Haruhi needed to learn to ask for help and could only do so by realizing that she had limits. That sounded presumptuous and condescending even to him, but truthfully, it was lesson that all should learn, especially with regards to safety. It would also bring peace of mind to every host in the club. They were all rattled by today's events, just no one was as moronic as Tamaki.

Kyoya understood the underlying reasons behind Tamaki's behavior though. When the woman you love goes through a dangerous situation, adrenaline courses through you, you look for someone to blame, and you act in an uncivilized manner.

...Like threatening to falsify death certificates...

He snorted and relaxed further into his chair. Yes, that was over the top (though a small voice said that the idea still had merit).

But really, how could he approach the topic of calling for help in a manner that got past the defenses Haruhi raised in response to Tamaki's stupidity?

He looked out the window as he thought this through and huffed when he saw the dark clouds rolling in.

With everything that had happened today, he hadn't made any progress on tonight's plan. He still needed to prepare. He had a general outline, of course, but he didn't want to improvise. He was afraid he might reveal his true feelings if he didn't have it all scripted beforehand.

Feeling inspired by his previous line of thinking, Kyoya decided that while he supported Haruhi through her fear of thunder, he would also include a lesson on the importance of calling for help and the limits of one's strength. Who knew? Maybe she'd be more receptive.

Kyoya immediately started brainstorming methods of approaching the topics. If she were truly defensive, his best options were to shock her, to demonstrate his points with no room for argument, or to make her laugh somehow.

Suddenly, he pictured a very cheesy (dare he say sleazy?) scene where he was half naked, irritated at how much he had to pay for sending flowers, and saying, "why don't you pay me back with your body?" after which he threw her on the bed and held her arms down, allowing her to see her strength compared to his.

This totally inappropriate scene caused him to snort in self-derision and push his glasses up to hide a possible blush.

Well, it would definitely show her that she was not strong enough to push him away and that there were five guys willing to help her (and kill _him_ ) just a few meters away. One's limitations (check) and the importance of calling for help (check). Problem solved.

Would it shock her? Yes. Would it demonstrate the topics in an impactful way? He snorted. Most definitely. Would it get her mind off of the thunder? Certainly. But he'd lose something precious. She currently trusted him and had a rapport with him that he thought she shared with no other host. It was based on respect and a (grudging on her part) admiration of each other's intellect. He'd lose this if he used this brute force method.

So that was out. Obviously. So what to do?

He started from his chair when the house chimes struck 8 o'clock. Despite not having figured out his plans for the evening, he needed to go and check how dinner was progressing. His plans would have to wait. Again.


	9. The Mind Game

**Chapter 8 - The Mind Game**

Black book in hand, Kyoya left his room and walked down the hall, pausing at the door to Haruhi's room. Should he check on her?

No, he thought, and walked determinedly down the hall. Let her rest as long as she can.

He bypassed the great room where Tamaki and the twins sat at the table, waiting for dinner. He pushed the kitchen door open and halted.

He hated to admit it, but dinner smelled delicious.

"How much longer?" Kyoya asked.

Mori-senpai opened his mouth to respond, but Honey-senpai beat him to it.

"Kyo-chan, your kitchen is amazing! Though you probably didn't know that, huh? Since you can't cook."

Kyoya just stared at him.

Honey smirked. "It'll be another hour til we're ready to sit down and eat."

Kyoya noticed Mori-senpai stiffen, which was oddly conspicuous for someone so stoic.

Kyoya chose to ignore it and nodded curtly as he left, distracted by thoughts he had never had before.

Should Kyoya hire a chef to teach him how to cook? It really bothered him that he had to leave tonight's dinner preparation in the hands of his competitors.

He sat down at the table with the others and toyed with the idea for a while and then decided against it. There was no _real_ merit, after all. Having reached that conclusion, Kyoya continued working on his plan for the impending thunderstorm, writing in his notebook while waiting for dinner to be finished.

He was quite surprised when, 10 minutes later, he heard Honey-senpai's voice from the kitchen say, "Takeshi - go get Haru-chan."

Kyoya almost stood up in surprise.

By the time Mori-senpai had crossed the room and started down the hallway Kyoya figured out what happened. Honey-senpai lied so that Kyoya wouldn't be the one to go get Haruhi. If Honey-senpai had said 10 minutes, Kyoya would have gone to wake Haruhi right away. Honey-senpai was very clever. Suddenly, Mori-senpai's stiffening made sense. Mori-senpai disapproved of Honey-senpai's lie.

Though obviously not enough to lose the advantage of getting Haruhi himself.

Kyoya resigned himself to his fate and remained sitting, though he occupied himself by pondering what just happened.

It was odd that one rival would help out another rival. He wondered if anything had happened. Or if it was simply that Honey-senpai would prefer Haruhi to end up with Mori-senpai rather than Kyoya.

He understood that. Kyoya would also prefer Mori-senpai to Honey-senpai if Haruhi did not choose him. Kyoya didn't want to admit it, but Mori-senpai and Haruhi had a lot to offer each other, more so than any other rival. Except himself, of course.

On that note, Kyoya settled in his seat and continued planning for his night with Haruhi. The sudden image of Ranka giggling with glee appeared in his head and Kyoya mentally corrected himself - planning how to be there for Haruhi through an episode of her astraphobia.

Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute... two minutes... five minutes...

Ten minutes passed and Mori-senpai was still with Haruhi. Kyoya found himself increasingly distracted. In fact, he realized he had been only staring at his notebook, listening intently for any sounds of their approach.

A plate of beautifully prepared crabs was suddenly thrust in front of him, breaking his concentration.

"Tadaa! Here you go! Don't they look yummy?" Honey-senpai asked smugly with his eyes closed.

Kyoya leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I apologize that there aren't any maids around to help you cook, senpai," he said scathingly, lamenting the necessity of sending his staff away. He did it to preserve Haruhi's dignity in case she suffered an episode in public. She had chosen not to share her phobia publicly, so he respected her in this and followed her lead. However, Haruhi was about to eat a home cooked meal made by these two men. He knew he made the right decision, but still... it rankled.

"It's no big deal. We appreciate you letting us stay here," Honey-senpai replied in the same tone of voice.

"So..." Kyoya paused and adjusted his glasses. "Why did you risk sending Mori-senpai instead of getting Haruhi yourself?"

Honey-senpai stilled. His gaze slowly went to the hallway where Mori-senpai disappeared. After a moment, the older boy absently responded, "It's the way we've always operated. I come up with the strategy and Takashi carries it out." Despite Honey-senpai's seemingly nostalgic tone, his clenched fists gave him away.

"You made a mistake. And you know it," Kyoya voiced.

Honey-senpai snapped out of it and looked at Kyoya directly. "Maybe. But not one I'm going to discuss with you."

As if to put an end to their conversation, Honey-senpai loudly exclaimed, "It's awfully gloomy out there, huh? It looks like it's going to rain."

Kyoya's fear spiked. Was Haruhi already having issues? Was Mori-senpai in the process of calming her down? Is that what was taking them so long? His mind sped, imagining how the wild host would calm Haruhi's fears, not liking the conclusions he came to.

No. No, Haruhi's fear was of thunder. She had no reason to be scared at this particular moment. Unless she was confiding in Mori-senpai so he could support her later on. Kyoya deliberately stopped this line of thinking. It wasn't productive. It did, however, make him feel a sense of urgency to tell her that he knew about her fear. _He_ wanted to be one she confided in. Not that she was likely to confide in anyone - the only way he saw that reasonably happening was if someone was with her during an attack (or if she really liked someone, his treacherous mind whispered).

His eyes immediately sought out the door. Still no movement! What were they doing in there??

Honey-senpai's bid for a change of topic was suddenly successful. Hikaru spoke up, "It's not just just gloomy outside."

Kyoya crossed his arms and turned to look at Hikaru, still lost in thought. "Hmm?"

"It's pretty gloomy right here in the dining room as well. Just take a look at senpai," Kaoru explained. Hikaru gestured to Tamaki sitting on the floor facing a window.

Kyoya rolled his eyes.

"Come on. Quit moping, boss," Hikaru admonished their leader.

"You shouldn't have picked a fight with her in the first place." Kaoru continued to dig the knife in further.

The hallway door opened.

Finally!! Kyoya turned around and his arms just fell to their sides. He barely managed to not drop his jaw at the sight of Haruhi. She looked exquisite, wearing a pink dress that Ranka must have packed for her. Kyoya blinked a few times as anime-like roses seemed to appear all around her.

The others rushed toward her.

"Ooooooo," Honey-senpai exclaimed.

"Haruhi, where did you get that dress?" the twins demanded. They bent over to look at her in more detail.

"From my dad. He must have repacked my bags when I wasn't looking. He's always trying to get me to wear this frilly stuff."

"That's awesome!" the twins said in tandem. "Way to go, dad!" They held their thumbs up in approval.

"You look so cute, Haru-chan!"

Kyoya turned slightly to see what grand declaration Tamaki was going to make. He was surprised to see that the king was only creepily lurking by a pillar near the window. Really, that was showing great restraint for him. Kyoya was mildly impressed at Tamaki's resolve.

From the corner of his eye, Kyoya saw Mori-senpai move out from behind Haruhi and start walking in his direction. Curious, Kyoya turned as his senpai made his way over to stand next to Kyoya.

For a moment, neither man said anything. They simply stood side by side watching the girl they loved.

Uncharacteristically, it was Mori-senpai who broke the silence. "She was beautiful," his rival murmured, eyes still fixed on Haruhi.

What?

Was? _Was_ beautiful? Meaning something occurred earlier and she was more beautiful then than she was now?

Eyes widening at the implications, Kyoya's head whipped around to stare at Mori in shock.

What exactly happened between the two of them while they were gone??

A number of scenarios quickly passed through Kyoya's mind. Did Mori see her sleeping face? Did they have some sort of meaningful conversation? Did she smile her especially cute smile just for him? Or did they...

Kyoya deeply regretted that men were visual creatures, because he was suddenly imagining Haruhi changing clothes, but with Mori in the room. Variations ranged from his senpai accidentally catching a glance all the way to passionately embracing her and even taking an active role in helping her out of her clothes. He flat out refused to visualize further scenarios.

Kyoya couldn't figure out what had happened based on "she was beautiful." Damn Mori and his laconic tendencies! Maybe he was being deliberately vague. Actually, when Kyoya thought about it, there was no need for Mori to tell Kyoya that. So Mori was boasting. Which meant there was something to boast about?? Kyoya quickly looked at Haruhi, noting her lovely appearance, but nothing seemed out of place - nor was she sending Mori any knowing looks.

Again, Kyoya had to give his rival credit. He didn't think Mori was capable of playing mind games, but this one - this one was succeeding.

 **End chapter**.

 **Note** : If you didn't notice, Kyoya deliberately drops the -senpai from Mori's name at the end in this chapter and will continue to do so from here on out. I debated back and forth, especially because I do not have a Japanese background - I'm not sure how egregious this is (especially if it is only dropped in his mind). I decided to go for it though (yay creative license) for two reasons. First is shock/anger/general pissed-offness of the audacity of Mori's comment. If a man implies that he got a little somethin' somethin' from your woman, you're not going to do him the courtesy and respect of formal language. Second, Mori playing a mind game (something Kyoya didn't think his rival was capable of) actually lowered Mori down to Kyoya's level, in Kyoya's eyes. They are equals in their attempts to woo Haruhi. Also, if I'm honest, I've wanted to write Mori instead of Mori-senpai during this whole story! "Mori-senpai" is more in character with Kyoya though so I had to go with that. Sighs. The things these characters demand, I tell you. ;)


	10. The Awkward Dinner

**Chapter 9 - The Awkward Dinner**

While Kyoya was still reeling from the well-played mind game, Mori stepped forward and offered his arm to Haruhi to escort her to dinner.

All Kyoya could do was stare. He wanted to pinch himself to see if any of this was real. He had been a step behind Mori all day. It was not something he was used to - and by _Mori_ of all people! It was petty, but Kyoya started addressing Mori informally - at least in his mind. He refused to recognize his senpai in a senior capacity while they courted the same woman. They were equals.

Kyoya stopped himself. No, not equals - Kyoya planned to be the victor. He needed to pull himself together and actively pursue Haruhi. No more planning, no more behind the scenes, no more big-picture anything. He needed to act, otherwise all of Mori's minor victories would end up turning the tide of the battle. Kyoya adjusted his glasses and made them gleam. He was ready to go to war.

Kyoya walked into the great room with a renewed sense of purpose and stopped in front of the table. The seating arrangement was extremely interesting.

Mori sat to the right of Honey-senpai who sat next to Haruhi. Kyoya wished he could have been there for _that_ exchange. Voices in his mind that sounded like the twins chanted "Somebody's in trouble." Holding back a grin, Kyoya started to take the seat to the left of Haruhi when Tamaki walked into the room from where he'd washed his hands.

Damn it. Kyoya's conscience gave him pause. He could give up the seat next to Haruhi to Tamaki in the hopes of promoting reconciliation. But he had just decided to fight and make the most of every opportunity. Grrr! His eyes flicked momentarily to Haruhi. He wavered, then sighed. He truly believed Haruhi would be happier and more at ease if she and Tamaki resolved their issues.

With that, Kyoya put his hands on the back of the chair and made eye contact with Tamaki. Indicating that the king should sit there, Kyoya walked around the table and went to wash his hands.

Coming back, Kyoya sat in the place across from Mori. He stiffened as he recalled "she was beautiful" and images of Mori and Haruhi being intimate flashed in his mind. Gritting his teeth, Kyoya opened his black book to make it look like he wasn't bothered by Mori's mind game. He told himself that even though Mori had been ahead during the day, Kyoya was going to get ahead during the night.

Kyoya's eyes closed as his brain processed the unintended innuendo. The phrasing of that particular sentence turned him on and brought to mind his earlier idea of throwing Haruhi on a bed... and the many things that could be done on a bed. Though happy his thoughts turned from her and Mori to her and him, he was in public so he tamped down on those thoughts and crossed his legs. Thankfully, he was sitting down.

From beside him, Hikaru spoke up. "Well, this is uncomfortable."

Kyoya's head flew up in surprise, but he relaxed when he realized Hikaru was talking about the atmosphere.

"Yeah, kind of awkward," Kaoru seconded.

Kyoya was amused at how perfectly timed their comments were.

Honey-senpai smiled tensely. "Let's dig in Haru-chan. These are the crabs we caught! I bet they're delicious."

Kyoya glanced over and watched Haruhi begin to eat. The moment the first bite touched her tongue, she closed her eyes in ecstasy. His stomach tightened in response. Kyoya could stare at her making that face for hours and would happily be the cause of that expression.

It felt like reality doused him with a bucket of ice water when he realized that she was only making that face because of a meal his _rivals_ made for her. His happy, bed-throwing-fantasy induced state of mind dissipated quickly.

That was when he decided that he, Kyoya Ootori, absolutely _would_ take cooking lessons. How could he have thought there was no merit in learning how to cook? Food was obviously a great way to win her heart. He was jealous that his senpais had thought of it first. What if she went to them for a more private demonstration?

Haruhi interrupted his inner monologue to provoke Tamaki. "These crabs taste in-crab-ible. Get it?" she taunted, taking exaggerated bites.

Kyoya held back a smirk. The little minx was trying to get a rise out of Tamaki. He regretted giving up the seat, but his Shadow King side enjoyed the show and mentally stood up and applauded. Being able to politely use one's words to get under someone's skin was a high-society skill. It was crude, yes, but effective. Still, Kyoya would rather have sat next to her and attempt to win her favor than cause more chaos.

He sighed. The severity of the argument between Tamaki and Haruhi would require more work than simply sitting next to her at the table. If his plan for later broke through Haruhi's defenses, he'd try to make steps towards fixing their miscommunication. But for now, Haruhi was determined to rile his friend. Haruhi even ate far beyond her normal limit just to get a reaction out of him.

Then, stupidly, Tamaki fell for the trap.

"Don't you think you've had enough? Give it a rest!" Tamaki said, looking disgusted.

She went in for the killer blow. "Excuse me? I thought you weren't speaking to me." She kept eating.

"You - trying to be cute," Tamaki pouted.

Kyoya and Honey-senpai looked on in utter disbelief as Tamaki made stupid-man mistake after mistake. For all his hosting, one would think - even hope - that Tamaki would know more about a woman's psyche.

Haruhi suddenly glared at Tamaki and the king had had enough. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Okay, fine, I get it. It seems you refuse to admit that you were wrong."

He closed his eyes haughtily and started walking away. "See if I care, then. I'm going to bed. Kyoya, will you show me to my room, please?"

Loathe to be away from Haruhi when the thunderstorm could hit at any minute, Kyoya bought himself some time by patting his mouth with a napkin and quickly weighed the pros and cons of this situation. Eventually deciding that distance between the two would be the fastest way to help Haruhi process, Kyoya said, "No problem," and made to stand up.

"Well, excuse me everyone," he drawled. He eyed Haruhi surreptitiously and saw the frustration and confusion on her face.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow at Honey-senpai and Mori as he left the table and they nodded discreetly. He wanted to be able to stay and help Haruhi sort through what just happened, but at least she wouldn't be alone. He reminded himself that he'd be seeing her soon.


	11. The Unexpected Patient

**Author's note** : I apologize in advance for what may be a Western puking scene. How/where would the Japanese puke? Do they puke in toilets? In-ground toilets? The sink? A trashcan? After considering this for a while, I thought, "You're thinking too hard about puke and toilets - not the biggest concern here." So a good ol' fashioned puke scene, it is. :)

 **Chapter 11 - The Unexpected Patient**

The moron's room was at the end of the South hall—the furthest possible room from Kyoya's, which was near the end of the East hall. The Host Club had gone on many overnight excursions and Kyoya knew from experience that Tamaki liked to pester whoever was nearby. As Kyoya led Tamaki to his room, the Shadow King took a moment to adjust his glasses and smirk because he arranged for Mori and Honey-senpai to be next to Tamaki. A black aura flickered in and out as he fought the urge to chuckle darkly. He suppressed it, but just barely.

It was as they arrived at Tamaki's room that Kyoya realized the king had been quiet the entire walk.

"Your room," Kyoya said, waiting. He knew Tamaki must have something to say.

"Thank you, Kyoya." Tamaki stopped moving and seemed to hesitate, looking lost. "I... I don't know what to do about Haruhi. She's so..." he floundered. "...So stubborn."

Dumbfounded, Kyoya just stared at his best friend. Tamaki thought that Haruhi's stubbornness was the problem? A moment passed as Kyoya tried to formulate the best response—or at least one that didn't have the word idiot in it.

"She will be fine, Tamaki. The boys are talking to her now and I will make time to talk to her later."

 _Sooner than you might think..._ he thought smugly. His momentary lightheartedness fell away as he turned back to the situation at hand.

He straightened and stared intently at Tamaki. "You should really give some thought on how you handled this disagreement with Haruhi. Clearly, you don't like the outcome of this situation, so figure out what _you_ could have done differently instead of blaming Haruhi for what you perceive as stubbornness."

With that, Kyoya turned and left a bewildered Tamaki.

Debating the merits of returning to dinner or going back to his room, Kyoya decided on the latter as he wanted to clear his head before the big event. He glanced out a window as he walked. It was getting darker and the clouds he saw earlier were beginning to look ominous. Things were starting to pick up. He hurried the rest of the way to his room.

Once inside, he took off his clothes as he headed to the bath. If anyone questioned him as to why he was taking a bath, he would have pointed to his aforementioned need to clear his head. The reality, however, was mortifying, even if he was only admitting it to himself. His sister Fumino often liked to irritate him by shoving shoujo manga in his face, specifically choosing scenes to try to embarrass him. The cliche he was desperately trying not to recall, but emulating anyway, was when a girl made sure her underwear wasn't white or beige before knowingly putting herself in a risqué situation.

He stopped on the threshold of the bathroom, pushed his glasses up, and exhaled in embarrassment. It was the exact same thing with this bath. He didn't expect anything of a risqué nature to occur that evening (sorry Ranka!), but better clean and prepared than not, right?

He bathed quickly, not daring to think about anything. He got out of the bath, pulled on a pair of pants, and went into his room to dry his hair and cool off with a bottle of water.

Just as he sat, his door slammed open, hit the wall, and closed again as Haruhi ran by racing to his bathroom. He stood, shocked, as she fell to her knees and threw up in his toilet.

Muscle memory from taking care of Fumino had him moving before he realized it. He got a washcloth and turned on the faucet, fully focused on helping her when it suddenly dawned on him that she might want to be alone in this type of situation. He quickly glanced over at her.

Other than looking at him from the corner of her eye as she continued to retch, she didn't react negatively to his presence at all.

Taking that as assent, he wet the washcloth and wrung it out. He walked next to her and knelt, putting the washcloth on the back of her neck. He hesitated and then ran his fingers through her bangs and the front of her hair, gathering it out of her face. He tried not to focus on its silkiness or how intimate this seemed, despite the situation.

Remembering Fumino's accusation that Kyoya's silence seemed judgmental during such times, Kyoya very quietly breathed the same chant he sang to Fumino, "Pain, pain, fly away. Pain, pain, fly away." Not wanting to seem like he was treating her like a child, he switched to humming to the same rhythm.

It wasn't long until Haruhi had nothing left in her stomach and she began to dry heave. At this point, she had enough control that she was able to get out a strangled "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyoya said. He flipped over the washcloth on her neck, wishing he could do more. Haruhi's dry heaves subsided fairly quickly after that.

He stood and got another wet washcloth to hand to her. She took it and sat back against the door frame to recover. Kyoya watched as she wiped her face, noting clinically that her color was better. He excused himself and stepped out of the room to give her privacy.

Kyoya sat in a chair that was next to the windows and peered out beyond the green curtains. It was completely dark and had started to rain. Not much time left. He put his towel over the top of his head and began to dry his hair.

Haruhi opened the door, looking sheepish. Kyoya tried to guess if it was because she was embarrassed at having thrown up in front of him or simply lamenting the waste of a good meal. Probably the latter.

Wanting to set her at ease, he asked, "Are you okay?"

She bowed. "I apologize, Senpai, I didn't mean to intrude."

"Don't be silly; it's only me."

"Kyoya-senpai... Senpai, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to make everybody worry about me today." Her sincerity was obvious.

Kyoya glanced at her sidelong, wondering what happened with the other hosts that had resulted in this epiphany.

He was glad she realized that they had been worried. It was a first step towards understanding that she had limitations. He wondered how to respond.

He stood up and took a drink of water to buy him time.

Should he take this chance to teach her the lesson about limits and asking for help? Kyoya remembered his earlier fantasy about the topic. He could answer her that he wasn't especially worried, bring up her debt, and then force her on the bed, pretending to have his way with her. His baser instincts said _Doooo_ _itttt!! You bathed, didn't you?_ Snarky baser instincts. And as it had earlier that day, his intellectual side agreed, reasoning that doing so would definitely teach her about limitations and relying on others.

But where would that get him? It would put distance between them and she would be less receptive to what he had to say tonight.

It's not like she'd say "Gee golly, Senpai, I never realized what a nice guy you are. Obviously you're trying to prove Tamaki's point. Tee hee, tee hee." No one would react like that.

No. He needed to respect her by being honest and admitting he'd been worried.

He lowered his water bottle and looked at Haruhi.

"Thanks. It was..." _Terrifying. Awful. Heart wrenching_. "...unsettling to not know whether you were okay." He paused, wanting to say more, but decided against it. "Since you caused me to worry, you can pay me back by allowing me to escort you safely to your room."

She gave him a deadpan look. "Senpai, my room is at the end of this hall. You don't need to walk me there."

"I insist."

"It's literally two doors down."

Kyoya guided Haruhi to the door as he said, "Haruhi, you're exhausted, you've had a trying day. Can you accept that I too am trying to look out for you in my own way?"

A stunned look appeared on her face and the fight went out of her.

"Okay, Senpai." She followed him out the door.

"Just a moment," he said and locked the door.

"Aren't you coming right back? Why are you locking your door?"

They started walking the short distance to her room.

Kyoya looked at Haruhi from the corner of his eyes and then closed them as he adjusted his glasses. "I understand that this is your first overnight experience with Tamaki and the twins, but I would think that you know them well enough to imagine the chaos that could ensue. Might I recommend that you also keep your door locked at all times?"

A beat of silence, then a grimace appeared on her face. "You're absolutely right. Good advice, Senpai."

Haruhi turned to open her door.

This was it. According to his plan, Kyoya needed to enter her room without raising her suspicions.

He spoke quickly, but kept it casual. "Actually, I have something to discuss with you."

She turned back to him.

"May I?" He asked and gestured to her door. He was counting on her naïveté to let him into her room unchaperoned. Though he felt conflicted about that. He shouldn't be able to count on that naïveté. It shouldn't even exist. But that was one of the points of tonight's interactions - to help with realizing her limitations. And now he was rambling. In his own head.

He could admit it. He was nervous. Ranka had prepped him with what to expect from one of Haruhi's episodes, but he had never personally witnessed an attack. He was about to share that he had been talking with Ranka since the first day she entered Music Room 3. That he had entered her private life without her knowledge and without her permission. She would probably be embarrassed, angry, and resentful, possibly distancing herself from him. The happy balance of the host club, the future of the two of them together that he hoped for, _everything_ was being risked by what he was about to do. He couldn't predict the outcome of the next couple of hours. He could only hope that his plan to even the odds would work.

"Yes," Haruhi said, and held the door open for him to enter.

He swallowed nervously and walked through. No turning back now.

 **End Chapter 11 - The Unexpected Patient**

Next up is the final chapter! For those of you who are devastated not to read our favorite scene in this chapter, never fear! Would I pass on the chance to write that scene? :) I can't wait for you all to read how it all ties together. Until then!


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